While many productive adults may look upon their own teen drinking as a harmless rite of passage, others can attest to alcohol’s corrosive effects on youth as far as achievement and a future are concerned. Teenagers as a class are not viewed by lawmakers as physically or mentally ready for alcohol consumption. Yet many teens flout age-restrictive laws for reasons over which there is some debate. Additionally, disagreement exists over ways – such as sports participation -- to mitigate teen drinking.
Risk Taking
The National Institutes of Health published findings in 2006 that implicated the propensity among adolescents to tempt fate as a major factor in underage drinking. Scientist cite the ongoing neurological development of the brain during the teen years – and into young adulthood – in fostering a disposition toward danger. If indeed this urge is chemically based, participation in team or individual sports may be doubtful as a preventive of alcohol use. However, under optimal conditions, playing sports can counteract the temptation to drink. Receiving positive mentoring from coaches, experiencing the rewards of discipline and delayed gratification and appreciating the very risks inherent in some sports – football, for instance – may temper a teen's desire for more destructive outlets.
Social Pressure
The teenage years are awkward for many. Living with an acute self-consciousness can lead to insecurity and an inordinate desire to fit in. Active engagement in school sports teams has proven to take the edge off the angst characteristic of this period in life. Research published in the journal “Applied Research in Quality of Life” suggests a link between team sports and a positive self-image. While not a panacea, self-respect often can serve to fortify resistance against negative influences by peers, including the pressure to drink. The study also concludes that playing sports decreases feelings of isolation among students.
Cultural Influence
The NIH also determined that the manner in which alcohol is presented affects whether a teen opts to indulge. If family, peers and media all convey the salutary effects of alcohol consumption, an adolescent is hard-pressed to focus on its hazards, health teacher admonitions notwithstanding. This may explain why research presented to the American Public health Association in 2009 demonstrates a coexistence between athletic participation and drinking. Under circumstances that combine unenlightened coaching with a win-at-all-costs mentality, the thirst for beer and liquor actually can be whetted, as character-building gives way to unrealistic performance expectations. These occurrences are more frequent among males.
Heredity
The chances of a child of an alcoholic engaging in irresponsible drinking is quadrupled when compared to a child without a family history of alcoholism. A physiological tendency to addiction can be detected in childhood -- according to NIH scientists – manifesting itself as inability to control impulses and antisocial behavior. Upon neurological testing, these individuals demonstrate markedly different brainwave patterns from control groups. A genetic tilt is a powerful factor in underage drinking, but it need not make such behavior inevitable. Although participation in sports cannot undo the way the brain is wired, it can give the descendant of alcoholics the impetus to stay sober, provided the other factors contributing to alcohol use are managed effectively.
References
- TeensHealth from Nemours: Why Exercise is Wise
- Education.com; The Benefits of Team Sports; Lucy Rector Fillpu
- Psych Central; Research News; Teen Sports Participation Contributes to Overall Well-Being; Selena Chavis
- ABC News; Health; Do Teen Sports Increase Risk of Teen Drinking and Violence?; Dr. Judy Nee; Nov. 9, 2009
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving: More Risks to Teens
- National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Alcohol Alert; Underage Drinking
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